death walks among you
by Inflorescences
Summary: "Why did you kill your own daughter?" An entry for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's History of Magic Class (Task 5).


"Let go of me!" she screamed, flailing as the Auror's gripped her wrists. "James! JAMES!"

Her brother stared at her with darkened, unclear eyes. "I- Lily-"

"James, please," she begged, red curls sticking to her bloodied cheek. "I didn't do it, I didn't-"

"Likely story," the Auror holding her said with a shake. Lily winced, trying to slam her foot into his leg. He held her higher. "We saw you holding the curse on that girl."

"I-" Lily tried, her brown eyes meeting James', who flinched away. "I didn't. I swear I didn't."

"Lils…" James said, voice rough. "Why?"

Lily's heart dropped. "James-"

"Why did you kill your own daughter?" he asked, the fog clearing from his eyes. "I saw you!"

"James-"

"No!" James bellowed, slamming his fist against the doorframe. It creaked ominously. "She's dead, Lils. Dead." He wavered where he stood, eyes tracing the child's frame. "My goddaughter…"

"James, I didn't-"

"SHUT UP!" James shouted, aiming his wand at her. A tendril of fear wound around Lily's heart as she realized neither Auror was going to protect her from him. "What would Dad say?!"

"DAD'S DEAD!" Lily shouted. "He's dead, James! So's Mom! So's Aunt Hermione! So's Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle George and-"

James threw himself at her.

They tumbled to the ground, James' wand flying out of his hand as he pressed her to the ground, brown eyes wide with anger and grief.

"You killed Mia."

"I-I didn't- I didn't- James, please-"

James bent his head, shoulders shaking. "Lily. Please."

Lily stared up at him.

A drop of water splashed against her cheek.

Her eyes widened.

"Please," James croaked. "Please Lily. The truth."

Lily stared at him searchingly, before going limp under his grasp. "Mia joined the Dark Lord. I tried to stop her. She wouldn't listen. She was- she was already injured. Dying. I wanted her to go to St. Mungo's. She said no. She said no, James, I swear. I was trying to get her help, but she didn't want to be arrested. She joined for us. The Dark Lord said he'd kill us if she didn't- please. I didn't mean to kill her-"

James's hands loosened around Lily's wrists and she wriggled free, eyes darting from her brother to the Aurors watching silently.

"Lily…"

"She's dead?" Lily whispered, slowly reaching out for Mia's body.

No one answered.

They watched as a mother gathered her daughter's cooling body in her arms and wept.

* * *

"Lily," James said softly, pulling his thick winter cloak tighter around his frame. She said nothing, her normally dark complexion a strange gray shade. "I'm sorry it's taken so long."

She hunched her shoulders, looking tiny and frail behind the dirty metal bars. James watched her for a moment, eyes dark and sad.

"You know, your term is almost over," he said softly, sitting in front of the bars. He extended on hand through them, fingers shaking slightly. Lily ignored them. As he spoke, his fingers slowly drifted down. "You can come home soon."

"To what?" Lily finally said, voice tight and wobbly. "My daughter is dead. My husband is dead. Everyone hates me."

"Not everyone-"

"Al won't even visit me!" she snapped, high and tremulous like a bird that took flight before realizing one wing was broken. "I don't blame him! I murdered my own daughter!"

"But it wasn't intentional," James said softly, aware of how much the tables had turned since the day she was arrested, begging her innocence and he, so angry and judging. "She was already dying."

"My daughter is dead," said Lily, for a moment the distant shadow of Black matriarch, carried through four long-past generations flickering across her cheekbones. Despite the ratty clothes and matting curls, her brown eyes met his with a steadiness and grief that nearly drowned him. "I've accepted my role in her death." She paused, folding one grimy hand over the other, nails painstakingly nibbled down to a regular length. "Have you?"

"Of course…" James started before trailing off.

"Or are you ignoring my role in her death so you can love me?" she asked softly.

James flinched.

Lily slipped her fingers into his, sadness seeming to center her. "I've been here nearly three years. Haven't you even begun to make peace with what happened?"

James's answer was a tightening of his fingers around hers and a shaking of shoulders. His answer was the tears dripping onto their clasped hands between thick metal bars.

"Oh, James…" Lily whispered, pressing her forehead against the bars.

They stayed that way until the guards came to take James away.


End file.
